before taking up bass, guitar, ukelele and soprano guitars as his favored instruments, Brent completed 8 of 10 grades of Practical and Advanced Piano Rudiments at the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) in Toronto, Canada

completed Advanced Rudiments of Music Theory at RCM

learned to play guitar at age 14, learned to play bass at age 16

guitar lessons at the London Guitar and Lute Center, London, Ontario, Canada

bassist, band member or leader for jazz, blues, fusion, and progressive rock bands 1979-present

former founding member and bassist with the The Contemporary Jazz Group, composed of music university graduates from Sir Wilfred Laurier University, Humber College, and Brock University, 2004

Winner, Best Jazz Combo, The Canadian Stage Band Festival, Calgary, Alberta, 1985

Brent continues to play piano, guitar and bass today, and is currently the founding member and bassist for a local jazz group The Jazzway Express. The band is composed of sax, guitar, keyboards, vocals, and drums.

Brent is also a strong proponent of the ukelele and soprano guitar given how well adults and even young children are able to learn to play the instrument.

Brent also plays styles of music other than jazz, including rock and other styles. As someone once said "jazz players can play rock, but rock players can't play jazz".

Guitar-Building Training and Projects

received private guitar-building lessons from two full-time guitar builders in the Kitchener and Guelph, Canada, (2000-2003)

after building several of his own solid-body instruments, built custom electric basses and guitars for local Cambridge, Ontario, Canada Musicians